Penn FML: Penn students tell the little stories that make their lives awful.
Go onto pennfml.com if you want to become thoroughly depressed. While the classic fmylife.com, on which this is based, features stories of funny failures and is the best schadenfreude that the internet has to offer, many posters on this website seem to have missed the memo. Complaints about college life in general from unhappy Quakers do not make for an entertaining website or an accurate picture of Penn’s student body. Skip the home page and go right to the top–rated FMLs. You’ll find a few gems buried in a mountain of gripes from Penn’s Debbie Downer community. If you’re looking for a laugh, stick to the real thing. (pennfml.com)
Sleeping in Van Pelt: Pictures of people napping in Van Pelt, along with sassy captions.
If you’ve spent any time in Van Pelt, Penn’s largest and most soul–crushing library, then you’ve seen drowsy people whose brains have betrayed them, passed out on a chair or at a cubicle. Now, these sleepyheads’ moments of weakness are on the internet for all to see. Each photo comes with a hilarious description of the snoozer, although usually the pictures are funny on their own. With a simple premise executed to perfection, this Penn–centric website is worth a look next time you need a study break. Just another reason to bring a cup of coffee the next time you spend a late night in Van Pelt. (sleepinginvanpelt.tumblr.com)
LikeALittle: A forum where you can tell that person you don’t really know what you were really thinking.
Described as a “flirting–facilitator platform,” LikeALittle has swept across college campuses, and Penn’s branch is fairly active. People post anonymous messages to a stranger, identified only by gender and hair color, in order to reach out to the attractive, unidentified person that has made an impression on them. This website has an optimistic conceit — what if you could have another shot with the person you took a fancy to but will likely never see again? The stories are positive, humorous and relatable. LikeALittle brings flirtation into the 21st century and is the essence of why our college lives are different from those of any other generation. (likealittle.com/upenn)
UPenn Squirrels: Yes, Penn’s infamous squirrels have a Facebook page.
Many people would kill to have over 1,500 Facebook friends, yet Penn’s most annoying critters have somehow accomplished this feat. “Friends of UPenn Squirrels” are tagged in hundreds of funny photos of the rodents all over campus. The page also features commentary in the shrill, sharp tone that you just know squirrels would have if they could talk. Avoiding these terrifying little furballs is a part of every Penn student’s commute, and by joking about it we can begin to overcome the anxiety that comes whenever a squirrel pops out of a trash can as we walk by. The squirrels are just like us: they’re on Facebook. Except they probably have more friends than you. (facebook.com/upennsquirrels)
